Attorneys for the Backstreet Boys charge that Jive
has breached its contract with the group and that
Backstreet is no longer on the label, which is also
the home of Britney Spears as well as 'N Sync.
As we previously reported, 'N Sync's move to
Jive allegedly angered the Backstreet Boys, even
though both groups were created (and at one time
managed) by Orlando-based boy band guru Louis
J. Pearlman (see "Greenbacks And Red Tape:
Sorting Out 'N Sync's New Deal").
A spokesperson for Jive told MTV News that the
group was "signed to a long-term exclusive
agreement with Jive Records."
While Backstreet's management wouldn't
comment on the legal wrangling, a spokeswoman
for the group did say that the guys "don't have a
problem with 'N Sync" and that their current
North American tour would not be affected.
"We're not just a quote-unquote boy band.
We're artists just like everybody else out
there, like Boyz II Men and everybody else,"
the Boys' Howie D. told MTV News' Chris
Connelly as the tour launched last month. Howie
closed his comment with the now prophetic, "We
just want the respect from the industry as well
as the audience out there."
The Backstreet Boys have tentatively routed
another North American tour for May and June of
next year.
-- Kara Manning
Just weeks after 'N Sync opened a legal can of
worms by breaking its contract with RCA
Records to jump to Jive Records, Jive labelmates
the Backstreet Boys are now playing their own
game of contractual hardball.
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